CLASSIC AUTOMOBILES AND VINTAGE MOTORCYCLES!
Two of my favorite things in the world are classic automobiles and vintage motorcycles. And when you combine them both into one event… well, that’s a pretty good day. Today I made my way to The Factory in Franklin, Tennessee for the 27th Annual Antique & Classic Car Show, sponsored by the Battlefield Region of the Antique Automobile Club of America. But it get’s better… this years show was held in conjunction with the Music City Chapter of the Antique Motorcycle Club of America. That’s right… a beautiful day filled with classic automobiles and vintage motorcycles…. all in the same place. I could go on about how heavenly that is, but I’ll just shut up and let you enjoy some of my photos.
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STREETSIDE CLASSICS NASHVILLE – GRAND OPENING
Streetside Classics opened their Nashville showroom several weeks ago but today they made it official by hosting their grand opening car show. Nashville is the fifth location for the Charlotte, NC. based business. Other locations include Atlanta, Dallas/Ft. Worth, and Tampa. Specializing in consignment, purchase, and the sale of classic and collectible cars, the Nashville showroom (as well as the other four locations) keeps a literal warehouse full of inventory and will ship worldwide. Enjoy my photos from the show and check out Streetside Classics on-line at www.streetsideclassics.com.
FIRST CRUISE-IN OF THE SEASON
The first cruise-in of the season is always a special one. Everyone is “itching” to get out and brush the dust off the rides… and just hang! Well, today was that day for me. I made my way south of Nashville for the Gateway Classic Cars of Nashville customer appreciation day. The weather was perfect and turnout was fantastic… and included the local Corvette, Chevelle and Mopar clubs… as well as solo car geeks like me. Here are some of my favorites. Happy cruise-in season everyone!
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BRAGGIN’ ON NASHVILLE AND GUSHER CYCLES
Please allow me to brag on my hometown for just a minute. Widely known for county music, Nashville is much more than most people think and among other things, has a rich history in the hotrod and motorcycle culture. Those traditions continue today and there are a host of talented builders (of both the 4-wheeled and two-wheeled kind) that currently call The Music City home.
One of those talented individuals is J Ryan of Gusher Cycles. I first met J Ryan about 8 years ago at a local bike show and since then have seen him out and about once or twice a year. It’s to the point now that I look for him at any show I think he might be at… just because I know he will have something stellar on display.
Last weekend I attended a show at the Nashville Fairgrounds and sure enough, J Ryan was there with another one of his smokin’ hot creations. You’re going to have to believe me when I tell you that these photos don’t come close to accurately reproducing the gorgeous paint job on this bike (show lighting is always so awesome!) but even so, you can see that J Ryan has perfected his painting and fabrication skills to a level that most will never reach.
Take a look and then jump on over to gushercycles.com to see more of J Ryans creations. I’m jonesin’ hard to have him paint my Sporty project bike for me and if you’re looking for custom work yourself (paint, fabrication, bars, etc.) you should definitely check out what Gusher Cycles has to offer.
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A LITTLE SOMETHING TO WARM UP YOUR JANUARY
So… here i sit in the middle of January with next weeks forecasted temperatures below the freezing mark. It’s not a good recipe for people like me who enjoy wandering through classic vehicles in the heat of the summer. Fortunately, I just came across a few pictures from a show I attended in Nashville back in September. It’s not exactly the same but at least I can re-live warmer times and some cool rods with these photos! Care to join me?
By the way… Alexander King & Hatfield Bloodline were the featured band at this particular show. If you’ve not seen them, I highly recommend you do when they hit your town. They are great and Alexander’s guitar player is the one and only Kenny Olson of “Kid Rock” fame.
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HOW TO BEAT THE DARK MONTHS!
Let’s be honest… the “Dark Months” (that time between November 1st and March 1st when most days are dark, dreary, cold and filled with precipitation) are not fun. Classic cars and motorcycles spend a lot of time under wraps while owners look for ways to maintain their gear-head sanity. One way of doing so is to check out the local car shows… which is exactly what I did this weekend. The indoor event was just what I needed to give me a little boost while I wait for the Spring weather to break. I saw everything from Rats to Resto-Mod Corvettes and just about everything in between. Here are a few pictures. After you take a look, get out there and support your own local shows. It will do your motorized heart a world of good!
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2015 TENNESSEE MOTORAMA
I made my way to the Tennessee Motorama today in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. It was a great show to kick off the new year. Here are a few of my favorites.
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METROPOLITAN
When I spotted this car at the local cruise-in this week, I wasn’t quite sure what it was. But, the “M” logos on the hubcaps quickly “jogged” my memory and I realized I was looking at a Metropolitan. I remember my dad talking about these early “compact” cars and had read a little about them at some point, but I don’t remember ever having seen one in person.
This example had been expertly restored so, of course, I started taking several pictures with my trusty Canon. And the more I looked, the more impressed I became. Literally every inch of this car was like new and in pristine condition.
My interest was definitely peaked, so I did a little research when I got back to a computer. Here’s what I discovered:
The Metropolitan was offered from 1954 through 1961. This example would have to be somewhere between 1959 and 1961 given it’s external trunk lid, which was not available prior to 1959. The car was initially conceived by Nash Motors who commissioned an innovative designer named George Mason to create a basic transportation vehicle that would be easy on the pocket book both at the dealer and the gas pump.
Today the Metropolitan has become a sought after collectors item. You can find out a lot more about these cars and the growing passion for them by visiting the Metropolitan Owners Club of North America on-line at www.mocna.com.
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GREASE MONKEY ISSUE #13
Issue #13 of Grease Monkey Magazine is in the stores now. Be sure to grab a copy and check out my photos of the DoMaCo Norton, as well as re-cap photos of the 2013 Spring Thaw bike and Rat Show. You can view the entire magazine here.
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2013 Hunters Custom Car Show
I made my way to Nashville, Tennessee today to check out the Hunters Custom Car Show. Saw some cool stuff and took a bunch of photos. Several are here but you can see a ton more by clicking HERE.
Who would have thought these old Impalas would one day be cool? Love this car!
A 1950’s Dragster… this thing was way-cool.
’41 Willys Gasser out of Shelbyville, TN.
Loooooow…
It always comes back to the C2 Corvette for me. It doesn’t get any better!
Here comes the Judge!
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TOOTIN’ MY OWN HORN A LITTLE
Just thought I would share some of my recent design projects with you. I did the layout on these show posters for my friends over at Both Barrels Promotions. They are GOOD people and know how to put on a great show. If you are anywhere near the Middle Tennessee area, you should attend all three of these upcoming events. (FYI: The illustration in the second poster below was hand drawn by Gary Mizar. He’s the best! Check him out at garymizar.com)
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I LIKE CARS TOO… AND A SHAMELESS PLUG
Some of you already know that while bikes are a very strong passion of mine, I also love the whole HotRod, RatRod scene… and a lot of my work is in that arena. That’s why occasionally you will see posts here about cars (like this one and this one) and why every once in a while I may post something to showcase some of that work.
Like today… Below is artwork I created for an event coming up in July here in Tennessee. The client is using this for event posters, web banners and both Full-Page and Half-Page print ads in several Motorcycle and Car publications.
SHAMELESS PLUG INSERTED HERE: If you have an event coming up or business that needs artwork, I’d love to help you out. CLICK HERE for a few other examples of my recent work. And… I offer a heavy discount to anyone who mentions my RANT.
HUNTERS CUSTOM AUTO EXPO – LIFE BEYOND TWO WHEELS
Yes… this is a motorcycle blog but there is life beyond two wheels… especially when you’re talking Hot Rods and Rat Rods! A friend and I made our way to the Hunters Custom Auto Expo in Nashville today. I grabbed a few pics with the point-and-shoot in the horrid lighting conditions. These are a few of my favorites and you can see more if you click on the link at the bottom of this RANT.
CLICK HERE for more pics!
2009 REDNECK RUMBLE
Every September my buddy Scooter over at Both Barrels Promotions puts on one of the baddest car and bike shows you will ever see. It’s called The Redneck Rumble and caters to the old school/RAT crowd… and man it is a blast! The 2009 version happened on Saturday and as usual, it was a stellar event. I took a lot of pictures… here are a few and be sure to click on the link at the bottom of this RANT to see a TON more. Get a napkin first though ’cause you’re gonna be drooling!
TWO WHEEL SIGHTING + A COOL HOTROD
Last weekend I went to the local car cruise-in to check out the hotrods and while I was there I spotted this way-cool Suzuki GS1100 in the parking lot. I didn’t catch the owner but looking at it I’d say it is an ’80 or ’81 model. It’s nice to see one of these older bikes in great condition… and still being ridden!
And since I was at the car show… I thought I’d show you one of my favorite 4-wheel sightings from the night.
GOODGUYS ROD AND CUSTOM SHOW
OK… so this RANT has absolutely nothing to do with motorcycles but I thought some might enjoy it anyway. I went to the Goodguys Rod & Custom show at LP Field (home of the Tennessee Titans) today and it was a blast! You would not believe the number of cars they had on display. There are a few pics here but if you follow the link at the bottom of this RANT you can see a BUNCH more of the pics I took. Hope you like them!
VOTE FOR SWAG
Several of my designer friends have been participating in the Design By Humans website lately. DBH is a website that conducts an ongoing T-Shirt design contest. They take submissions from anyone interested and then let the general public determine what will be printed via vote.
Well… I noticed that there are few gearhead/hotrod/motorcycle designs so I thought I would submit one and see what happens. It’s kind of cool in that the car wraps around your entire torso.
Now comes the part where I need your help. Follow the link below and and if you like the design… please vote for me. You have to register to vote but it is a simple and painless process.
Thanks! Here is the link…
bikerswag.wordpress.com 